Numerous studies have shown that starting the day with breakfast has a positive influence for students. The federal government funds a program that allows income-eligible students to eat that first meal of the day at school, but less than one third of those who qualify for the program in New York State take advantage of it.

We all know the power music can have over us. A certain melody or a song can instantly transport us to another place and time and have a real effect on our mood. Buffalo blues musician Patti Parks had an idea several years ago to harness music’s transformative power to help people who face severe challenges. WBFO Blues host Pat Feldballe spoke with Parks about blues music therapy.

As the sky darkened into evening, names rang out in front of Old Erie County Hall. They were the names of those who have died in the area's opioids epidemic, read during a memorial to help their families deal with death.

Buffalo’s Common Council is throwing its support behind universal healthcare in New York. The council has chosen to back the passage of the New York Health Act, a bill calling for a single-payer healthcare system for all state residents.

New York State is planning to close the Western New York Children's Psychiatric Center, based in the Town of West Seneca, and move the young patients to the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. Opponents of the idea, including several local state lawmakers, are urging the state's Mental Health Commissioner to meet and discuss what many believe is a bad idea.

For the third year in a row, a bill is traveling through the New York legislature with the goal of creating a statewide single-payer healthcare system – more commonly known as ‘universal healthcare.’ Similar bills passed the state Assembly in 2015 and 2016, but failed to gain Senate approval. With the repeal of the Affordable Care Act on the horizon, advocates see this year’s attempt as more important than ever.

The presence of radioactive waste in Niagara County may be more widespread than originally thought. That's the concern uncovered by Dan Telvock of Investigative Post. On WBFO's Press Pass, Telvock shares findings that highlight the troubling reality that property owners may be unaware of the presence of the radioactive waste.

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Dan Telvock of Investigative Post discusses the presence of radioactive waste in Niagara County during WBFO's Press Pass.

Supporters of medical marijuana have long argued pot can help alleviate many medical and health problems. However, pinpointing the exact benefits of marijuana has been elusive. A new UB study looks to answer those questions.

The State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse has opened its cord blood bank, only the second facility of its kind in the state and the first outside New York City. Blood from umbilical cords is processed for stem cells, which can treat cancers and other diseases. The bank is open for public and private use.

The use of an electric surgical device to perform a minimally invasive hysterectomy is what Frank Interlichia of Brighton, NY - and others in similar cases across the country - claim caused the death of their loved ones.